Method and apparatus for determining toner level in electrophotographic print engines

Abstract

The toner in the toner cartridge is determined by taking each of the rasterized images output by the RIP and evaluating the pixel levels over the surface thereof. The average value is determined as a percentage of the maximum toner that can be applied to the page. This is then subtracted from a toner value and a remaining toner level determined. Further, all pages of the rasterized document can be evaluated to predetermine the toner level after printing. If this falls below a predetermined minimum, printing is inhibited for that document.

1. A method for determining toner usage by a printing device for a document of at least one page, the method comprising:
 accumulating toner values of pixels that are ON in the at least one page, which toner values have a plurality of different values between completely OFF to completely ON; 
 comparing the accumulated toner values of-pixels that are ON to a predetermined toner usage for a defined number of pixels that are ON in a reference page defined for the printing device wherein the toner usage for the defined number of pixels on the reference page is determined by: 
 generating a page having the defined number of pixels contained thereon as a test page, initiating printing of the test page with a toner cartridge of a known toner level, terminating printing of the test page after the toner level in the toner cartridge has reached a known lower limit such that total toner utilized is known, and determining an average value of total toner utilized for the printing of the test page as a function of the pixels that are ON for the total toner utilized for the printing of the test page; and 
 calculating the amount of toner utilized by the at least one page as a proportion of that used by the reference page. 
 
   
   
     2. The method of  claim 1 , wherein a pixel in the at least one page can be partially ON, accumulating toner values of pixels that are ON comprises determining the percentage ON for each of the pixels in the at least one page, and comprises comparing the accumulated toner values of pixels that are ON and the percentage ON thereof compared to a predetermined toner usage for a defined number of pixels that are ON to a defined percentage in a reference page. 
   
   
     3. The method of  claim 2 , wherein the defined number of pixels are all pixels for the reference page and which are ON to a defined percentage. 
   
   
     4. The method of  claim 3 , wherein the defined percentage is one hundred percent. 
   
   
     5. The method of  claim 1 , wherein the defined number of pixels are all pixels for the reference page. 
   
   
     6. The method of  claim 1  and further comprising printing the document with a marking engine, wherein printing follows calculating. 
   
   
     7. The method of  claim 1 , wherein accumulating toner values of pixels comprises:
 rasterizing the document of at least one page into a rasterized image; and 
 determining the toner values of pixels that are ON in the rasterized image of the at least one page. 
 
   
   
     8. The method of  claim 7  and further comprising storing the rasterized image of the at least one page after rasterizing thereof and prior to determining. 
   
   
     9. A method for determining toner usage by a printing device for a multi-color document of at least one page, having different color planes, the method comprising for each plane:
 accumulating toner values of pixels that are ON in the at least one page in the given plane, which toner values have a plurality of different values between completely OFF and completely ON; 
 comparing the accumulated toner values of the pixels that are ON to a predetermined toner usage of toner associated with the given plane for a defined number of pixels that are ON in a reference page of the given plane defined for the printing device wherein the toner usage for the defined number of pixels on the reference page of the given plane is determined by: 
 generating a page having the defined number of pixels contained thereon as a test page for each color plane, initiating printing of the test page with a toner cartridge for each plane of a known toner level for that plane, terminating printing of the test page after the toner level in the toner cartridge has reached a known lower limit such that total toner utilized is known for that plane, and determining an average value of total toner utilized for the printing of the test page as a function of the pixels that are ON for the total toner utilized for the printing of the test page for each plane; and 
 calculating the amount of toner for the given plane, utilized by the at least one page of the given plane as a proportion of that used by the reference page for the given plane. 
 
   
   
     10. The method of  claim 9 , wherein a pixel in the at least one page for a given plane can be partially ON, accumulating toner values of pixels that are ON for the given plane comprises determining the percentage ON for each of the pixels in the at least one page, and comparing for each plane comprises comparing the accumulated toner values of pixels that are ON and the percentage ON thereof compared to a predetermined toner usage for a defined number of pixels that are ON to a defined percentage in a reference page for the given plane. 
   
   
     11. The method of  claim 10 , wherein the defined number of pixels are all pixels for the reference page for the given plane and which are ON to a defined percentage. 
   
   
     12. The method of  claim 11 , wherein the defined percentage is one hundred percent. 
   
   
     13. The method of  claim 9 , wherein the defined number of pixels are all pixels for the reference page for the given plane. 
   
   
     14. The method of  claim 9  and further comprising printing the document with a marking engine, wherein printing follows calculating for each plane. 
   
   
     15. The method of  claim 9 , wherein accumulating toner values of pixels for a given plane comprises:
 rasterizing the document of at least one page into a rasterized image for each plane; and 
 determining the toner values of pixels that are ON in each plane in the rasterized image of the at least one page. 
 
   
   
     16. The method of  claim 15  and further comprising storing the rasterized image for each plane of the at least one page after rasterizing thereof and prior to determining. 
   
   
     17. A method for determining toner usage by a printing device for a multi-page document, the method comprising:
 accumulating toner values of pixels that are ON in the multi-page document, which toner values have a plurality of different values between completely OFF and completely ON; 
 comparing the accumulated toner values of the pixels that are ON to a predetermined toner usage for a defined number of pixels that are ON in a reference page defined for the printing device wherein the toner usage for the defined number of pixels on the reference page is determined by: 
 generating a page having the defined number of pixels contained thereon as a test page, initiating printing of the test page with a toner cartridge of a known toner level, terminating printing of the test page after the toner level in the toner cartridge has reached a known lower limit such that total toner utilized is known, and determining an average value of total toner utilized for the printing of the test page as a function of the pixels that are on for the total toner utilized for the printing of the test page; and 
 calculating the amount of toner utilized by the entire document as a proportion of that used by the reference page. 
 
   
   
     18. The method of  claim 17 , wherein a pixel in the document can be partially ON, accumulating toner values of pixels that are ON comprises determining the percentage ON for each of the pixels in the document, and comparing comprises comparing the accumulated toner values of pixels that are ON and the percentage ON thereof compared to a predetermined toner usage for a defined number of pixels that are ON to a defined percentage in a reference page. 
   
   
     19. The method of  claim 18 , wherein the defined number of pixels are all pixels for the reference page and which are ON to a defined percentage. 
   
   
     20. The method of  claim 19 , wherein the defined percentage is one hundred percent. 
   
   
     21. The method of  claim 17 , wherein the defined number of pixels are all pixels for the reference page. 
   
   
     22. The method of  claim 17 , further comprising printing the document with a marking engine, wherein printing follows calculating. 
   
   
     23. The method of  claim 17 , wherein accumulating toner values of pixels comprises rasterizing the documents into a plurality of rasterized images, each comprised of a rasterized page of the document; and determining the toner values of pixels that are ON in each of the rasterized images. 
   
   
     24. The method of  claim 23 , further comprising storing the rasterized images after rasterizing thereof and prior to determining. 
   
   
     25. The method of  claim 23 , further comprising:
 determining the available toner for printing; 
 determining a required amount of toner utilized by the multipage document; 
 comparing the required amount of toner for the multi-page document with the available toner; 
 determining a required amount of toner required for the rasterized image of each page; and 
 printing only the number of pages printable using the available toner. 
 
   
   
     26. The method of  claim 25 , wherein determining the available toner comprises:
 initiating a counter at a first known toner level for a print engine; 
 decrementing the counter to a counter value by the required amount of toner 
 utilized by the multipage document or a portion thereof after printing of the document; and subtracting from the counter value a known minimum toner value that defines a toner empty condition, the counter value remaining defined as the available toner level. 
 
   
   
     27. A method for determining toner usage by a printing device for a rasterized document of at least one page, the method comprising:
 fetching the rasterized document; 
 accumulating the values of pixels that are ON in the at least one page, each ON pixel having a non-zero value less than a maximum value; 
 comparing the accumulated values to a predetermined toner usage for a defined number of the pixels that are ON in a reference page defined for the printing device wherein the toner usage for the defined number of pixels on the reference page is determined by: 
 generating a page having the defined number of pixels contained thereon as a test page, initiating printing of the test page with a toner cartridge of a known toner level, terminating printing of the test page after the toner level in the toner cartridge has reached a known lower limit such that total toner utilized is known, and determining an average value of total toner utilized for the printing of the test page as a function of the pixels that are on for the total toner utilized for the printing of the test page; and 
 calculating the amount of toner utilized by the at least one page as a proportion of that used by the reference page. 
 
   
   
     28. The method of  claim 27 , wherein a pixel in the at least one page can be partially ON, accumulating the values of the pixels that are ON comprises determining the percentage On for each of the pixels in the at least one page, and comparing comprises comparing the accumulated values of the pixels that are ON to a predetermined toner usage for a defined number of pixels that are ON in the reference page. 
   
   
     29. The method of  claim 28 , wherein the defined number of pixels are all pixels for the reference page and which are ON to a defined percentage. 
   
   
     30. The method of  claim 29 , wherein the defined percentage is one hundred percent. 
   
   
     31. The method of  claim 27 , wherein the defined number of pixels are all pixels for the reference page. 
   
   
     32. The method of  claim 27 , further comprising printing the document with a marking engine, wherein printing follows calculating. 
   
   
     33. A method for determining toner usage for a document of at least one page prior to printing the page, the method comprising:
 determining the number of pixels that are ON in the at least one page; 
 comparing the number of pixels that are ON to a predetermined toner usage for a defined number of pixels that are ON in a reference page defined for a printing device, wherein the toner usage for the defined number of pixels on the reference page is determined by: 
 generating a page having the defined number of pixels contained thereon as a test page, initiating printing of the test page with a toner cartridge of a known toner level, terminating printing of the test page after the toner level in the toner cartridge has reached a known lower limit such that total toner utilized is known, and determining an average value of total toner utilized for the printing of the test page as a function of the pixels that are on for the total toner utilized for the printing of the test page; and 
 calculating the amount of toner utilized by the at least one page as a proportion of that used by the reference page. 
 
   
   
     34. The method of  claim 33 , wherein a pixel in the at least one page can be partially ON, determining the number of pixels that are ON comprises determining the percentage ON for each of the pixels in the at least one page, and comparing comprises comparing the number of pixels that are ON and the percentage ON thereof compared to a predetermined toner usage for a defined number of pixels that are ON to a defined percentage in a reference page. 
   
   
     35. The method of  claim 34 , wherein the defined number of pixels are all pixels for the reference page and which are ON to a defined percentage. 
   
   
     36. The method of  claim 35 , wherein the defined percentage is one hundred percent. 
   
   
     37. The method of  claim 33 , wherein the defined number of pixels are all pixels for the reference page. 
   
   
     38. The method of  claim 33  and further comprising printing the document with a marking engine, wherein printing follows calculating. 
   
   
     39. The method of  claim 33 , wherein determining the number of pixels comprises
 rasterizing the document of at least one page into a rasterized image; and 
 determining the number of pixels that are ON in the rasterized image of the at least one page. 
 
   
   
     40. The method of  claim 39  and further comprising storing the rasterized image of the at least one page after rasterizing thereof and prior to determining.